Bio
As Stanford’s senior public affairs official, David Demarest reports to the President of the university and is responsible for directing community initiatives, and overseeing communications, government relations and special events.
Demarest served four years as an assistant to President George H. W. Bush and member of the White House senior staff. As White House communications director, he worked directly with the president, the White House chief of staff and the Cabinet, and in that capacity managed a broad range of White House communications activities, including presidential speechwriting, public liaison, media relations and intergovernmental affairs.
Upon concluding his duties at the White House, Demarest served as executive vice president and director of corporate communications at BankAmerica Corp. and then as executive vice president for corporate relations and brand management at Visa International. He founded AspenLine Reputation Strategies, a specialized reputation management and communications consulting firm based in Sausalito, Calif. He participates as a senior lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business teaching “Political Communications: How Leaders Become Leaders,” as well as an undergraduate course “Making Sense of Strategy.” He also serves on the board of The Seminar, the George Bush Presidential Library Advisory Council, the Arthur W. Page Society, and the Public Affairs Council.